Entry
Take up your cross / Follow me
What did Jesus mean
Follow me.
Where did Jesus say this
Matthew 16:24 — “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
Mark 8:34 — “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
Luke 14:27 — “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
A quick sidenote
The cross was a symbol of execution in Rome. A person who was condemned to die was forced to carry a large, heavy, wooden cross on their back. It was physically (and mentally) challenging. When Jesus said “take up your cross,” he was basically flipping the script. He was taking something that was “forced” and turning it into something that was “chosen.”
“Deny” in Greek is aparneomai, which means to disown… or, self-denial. Self-denial doesn’t mean you refuse to acknowledge who you are. It means you stop allowing your own preferences, rules, thoughts, and feelings to dictate your choices. You rely on Jesus for that.
“Come after me” simply means “follow.” If you add “would” in front of this, then it aligns more closely with the Greek word thelō, which means “is willing to.” Translation: “If anyone is willing to follow me.” (That sounds a lot nicer, doesn’t it?)
akoloutheō is Greek for “follow me” — which means “live the way I live.” It’s not meant to be seen as a “demand.” It’s a request.
All 3 versions are very similar but very different. Jesus is addressing 3 separate groups in the same way. And that matters. He says it to his disciples. He says it to a crowd of strangers. He says it to “whoever.” He says it to anyone who will hear him.
What Jesus did not mean
When people were being sent to death “at the cross,” Take Up Your Cross was considered an act of defiance.
Jesus would say it, and it was a pivotal moment for people: Taking up the cross meant giving up comfort and possibly… their lives.
However, it doesn’t always mean that. Especially now.
What does “Take Up Your Cross” not mean?
It definitely doesn’t mean battle. It doesn’t give people open season to “fight,” “hurt,” or “kill” those they consider to be enemies or non-followers.
It also doesn’t span to include casual life circumstances that are simply hard to deal with. That’s external and involuntary. Following Jesus is internal and voluntary.
To take up your cross means that you are making the decision to follow Jesus no matter what. This is a decision you don’t just make once. But every day.
And it won’t always be easy, and it might mean you lose some things before you gain some things.
To take up your cross means to surrender yourself to Jesus. And that means to “disown” yourself and to “deny” the things you once thought were important.
Where to start
Pray. Talk to Jesus. Ask him for guidance. Do it every day. As much as you can.
And listen. Don’t just tell Jesus what you want and what you like. Ask him how you can follow (emulate) him better.
This is designed to chip away at your ego, so you can feel more whole and more loved.
But how does this chip away at your ego? How does this cost you?
Often in little ways (depending on your circumstances).
When you follow Jesus and take up the cross, you’re telling Jesus: I am ready to be guided. There is nothing standing in the way between me and you.
This means you might have to make changes in your life and in your mind that cost you something — comfort, money, relationships, habits.
But the cost you feel is only temporary.
Benefits
Taking up your cross and following Jesus can hurt in the beginning (and maybe in the middle), but over time, you’ll come to see that it’s always to help you. To heal you.
At some point, you won’t see the cross as a burden to bear but as an opportunity and as a gift. With every choice you make, you get one step closer to the real you. The you that is free of ego.
Remember, Jesus also said: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).
Life is good with Jesus. Take up the cross, and you’ll see.
Also said as: take up your cross and follow me · deny yourself and take up your cross · whoever loses his life will find it